City of Brownsville. City of Brownsville

Transcription

1 City of Brownsville Bond Buyer Conference February 14-15, 15, 2011 Pedro (Pete) Gonzalez, Jr. Deputy City Manager/Chief Financial Officer City of Brownsville Brownsville, Texas 1

2 City of Brownsville Incorporated on February 7, 1853 Seat of Cameron County, Texas Largest city in the Rio Grande Valley 15 th largest in Texas & 129th largest in the U.S. Southernmost City in Texas Deep South Texas On Rio Grande River & 25 miles from the Gulf of Mexico On the Border By the Sea 3 International Bridges Sister city-- --Matamoros, Mexico 25 miles-south Padre Island & 25 miles Boca Chica Beach 830 miles SE of El Paso & 808 mile SE of Amarillo Population: est. 175,000 Area: square miles Average elevation feet above sea level. Range feet above sea level 2

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4 City of Brownsville International Airport International Water Port Gladys Porter Zoo Museums: Children s s Museum; Museum of Fine Arts; Historical Museums; Commemorative Air Force Museum; Community Theater Sabal Palms & Resaca de la Palma State Park Palo Alto National Park University & Community College High Schools: 6 Public, 2 Private & Idea Academy System of Resacas (Oxbow Lakes) 4

5 Resacas or Oxbow Lakes Remenants of old channels of the Rio Grande River or man made. Aid in flood control & water storage Recreation Beautification Major resacas in City: Resaca de la Guerra Resaca de la Palma Resaca de Rancho Viejo Land o Lakes 5

6 Resaca de Rancho Viejo 6

7 Storm Water Program Protecting our Water Resources Environmental Education at All Levels New Regulations Same Concerns Urban Pressures Future Needs Aerator & Beautification 7

8 Recreation 8

9 Recreation 9

10 Retaining Wall for Erosion Prevention 10

11 Community Planting Event to Prevent Erosion 11

12 City of Brownsville Infrastructure Improvements Street construction 700 miles of streets miles need repaving $1 million to construct one mile per street Major damage to streets is flooding Drainage Projects Critical due to flat elevation Annual rainfall is 27 inches Rainfall is usually received in an abundance within a short period of time because of major rain events including tropical storms & hurricanes 12

13 Water and Wastewater Projects Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) Municipal Utility Responsible for utility projects: Water & Wastewater Projects Electric Projects BPUB finances by issuing commercial paper and revenue bonds Financially Independent of City of Brownsville Board Appointed by Brownsville City Commission 13

14 City of Brownsville Infrastructure Project Funding General obligation bonds Require voter approval Certificates of Obligation (C. O.) Do not require voter approval, Notice of intention to issue C.O.s must be published in the newspaper 30 days before the C.O.s are issued. Federal & State Grants Economic Development Corp (4a & 4b) Tax notes Do not require voter approval nor publication notices 14

15 City of Brownsville s Credit Rating Moody s Investor Service: Aa3 Standard & Poor s: A+ Fitch Ratings: AA- 15

16 City of Brownsville Annual Rainfall South Padre Island 16

17 City of Brownsville Major Flooding Events Hurricane Beulah-12 inches 1 day; 30 total inches for year September inches annual inches 2008: inches-hurricane Dolly, July : Ttl Rainfall 37 inches-3 3 tropical systems 17

18 City of Brownsville Flood Management Strategy Coordination between several entities Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) Drainage District City of Brownsville 18

19 Flood Management Strategy PUB Major rain event forecasted (tropical storm, hurricane, etc.) Resaca water levels lowered BPUB pipes water from resacas to its two water plants Rain water drains or is pumped to resacas Reduces street, businesses and neighborhood flooding 19

20 Flood Management Strategy Drainage Districts Maintains Drainage System debris and flora free to increase capacity Drainage System is coupled with pumps to expedite drainage of excess water into the Rio Grande River or to the Brownsville Ship Channel (Port of Brownsville) One of the drainage districts has built a 52 inch drain pipe which has improved pumping capacity 20

21 Flood Management Strategy City of Brownsville Maintains Drainage System debris and flora free to increase capacity Drainage System is coupled with pumps to expedite drainage of excess water into the Rio Grande River or Brownsville Ship Channel 14 pumps to drain rain water during the 3 tropical systems that affected the City in 2010: One 8 inch pump Ten 6 inch pumps Two 4 inch pumps One 18 inch pump belonging to IWBC (International Water Boundary Commission). 21

22 Flood Management Strategy City of Brownsville Retention Ponds in low lying areas Ruiz: CDBG funds Garden Park: Agreement with U.S. Fish & Wildlife to use wetland property as drainage area CDBG funds *Towne North: CDBG Funds Airport Grants: FAA, Hurricane Dolly & PFC Funds *Golf Center: Bonds *Additional funding through cooperative agreement with 4B corporation to pay for hauling of dirt to a park. Note: Major cost of creating detention ponds is dirt removal. 22

23 Ruiz 16 acres; 12 ft deep 23

24 Garden Park 200 acres; 4-6ft 4 deep 24

25 Garden Park 200 acres; 4-6ft 4 deep 25

26 Towne North: 10 acres; 8 ft deep 26

27 Flood Management Strategy Airport Case Study Normal Rainfall Hurricane Dolly 27

28 Flood Management Strategy City of Brownsville-Airport North Drainage Improvement Costs Design: $105,100 Construction: $1,100,814 Total: $1,205,914 Funding: 95% from Dolly Project Grant #35; 5% from passenger facility charges (PFC) 28

29 Airport Drainage Improvement Grant: $1,205,914 Project Grant #35 Dolly Project #1 29

30 Grant Budget $416,200 Airport North Emergency Generator & 3 rd Pump Grant #35 Dolly Project #2 & #3 30

31 Airport Dam South Permanent Pump and South Generator Grant: $758,700 Grant #35 Dolly Project #5 Airport Dam: Prevents North Main Drain Water From Entering Airport Property 31

32 Brownsville Golf Center Water hazard at Golf Course enlarged to increase drainage capacity 32

33 City of Brownsville Drainage Improvement Impact 2010: 37 inches (vs. 27 inches) due to 3 tropical systems Hurricane Alex (June), Tropical depression 2 (August) Tropical Storm Hermine (September) Major Flooding Averted Thousands of homes not flooded Minimal negative economic impact due to city fully operational within days Minimal Damage to Streets 33